Where is Banana Sam?

Hi Everybody!

I hope the holidays were great for everyone! And I am sincerely sorry for my lack of communication, but I'm trying to get several projects off the ground.

But I came across this story today and I thought you should know about it. It's about a monkey named Banana Sam - he is from San Francisco and he is missing. Now we don't know if he escaped on his own  from his home at the zoo (which I am fine with) or that he was monkey-napped! (which I am not fine with).

He might have a twitter (http://twitter.com/SF_BananaSam) but we are not sure if it is really him or perhaps his monkey-nappers trying to make it seem like he is okay.

So Banana Sam if you are okay and on your own - let me know - or else the search will continue!

Happy New Year Everyone!

MoJo

For more on this story go to :  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/12/monkey-banana-sam-snatched-from-san-francisco-zoo/

New Monkey Found!

(Picture of a Snub-nosed monkey from Reuters)

I'm not sure what to make of this guy. He looks like he got punched in the face and is now missing a nose, but on the other hand his hair is pretty trendy and he looks like he is cleaning his teeth (so he has good hygiene).

He was discovered in a remote forested region of northern Myanmar (that's in Southeast Asia) and now that area is in danger due to logging and a Chinese dam project. They estimate that there are between 260 and 330 of the monkeys living in the area and that they are now critically endangered.

Not sure what we can do but it looks like the Chinese dam project has the chance to harm them the most.

For more on this Story: Click Here

The Smoking Chimp

 (Picture above Omega from the AP)



Omega is a 12-year-old chimpanzee who recently was rescued from a zoo in Lebanon and sent to Brazil. Why? Because he was smoking cigarettes! A group called Animals Lebanon (an Animal Rights group) found out that people visiting the zoo would throw cigarettes into his cage and he would smoke them - and the Lebanese zoo would not do anything to stop the people or stop Omega. So Animals Lebanon were able to save him and place him into a sanctuary in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Lebanon has no laws to protect animals!

"In his younger years, Omega was used in one of the local restaurants to entertain people and was made to smoke cigarettes and serve water pipes to customers. After he grew stronger, he was locked up and taken to a zoo where for the past 10 years he has lived in a cage measuring 430 square feet (40 square meters)."

Good Job to Animals Lebanon for saving Omega before he continued down this destructive path of smoking! And if you are an animal - GET OUT OF LEBANON!

For more on this story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101108/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_lebanon_smoking_chimpanzee;_ylt=Am7c_rbrN7O3hcnNfxGKmR4DW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTMzZXRyMHJ0BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMTA4L21sX2xlYmFub25fc21va2luZ19jaGltcGFuemVlBHBvcwMxNARzZWMDeW5fYXJ0aWNsZV9zdW1tYXJ5X2xpc3QEc2xrA3Ntb2tpbmdjaGltcA--

Donkey Kong is Back!

Did he ever go anywhere? : )

We all know how much I'm a fan of Donkey Kong (and who wouldn't be accept for the Jumpman guy who looks a lot like Mario). Anyway it seems that they are releasing a new video game starring Donkey Kong called Donkey Kong Country Returns I'm sure it will be great. It will be for the Wii and here is what Scott Steinberg had to say:

"This update takes the 16-bit classic, once noted for its striking graphics, and transplants its side-scrolling action to a modern context, layering 3-D effects on top of 2-D elements.

Jump over yawning chasms, blast out of cannons or screech along in mine carts -- solo or with simultaneous help from a friend -- while battling bosses, nabbing bananas and hunting for hidden secrets. A heady mix of button-mashing thrills and platform-hopping excitement, the game lets you party like it's 1994."

Sounds pretty cool to me! If you'd like to read more about classic video games that are making a comeback - read the rest of Scott's story HERE at CNN.com

P.S: Sorry everyone for the long delays, I'm been off on many adventures and working on many projects! I will keep you up to date as much as I can!

- MoJo

Gorilla plays Donkey Kong?

The gorillas were just hanging out at the San Francisco Zoo when a kid dropped his Nintendo DSi XL and they picked it up! So we don't know what game they were playing but maybe it was Donkey Kong! Though if it was they probably would just let Donkey Kong win.

In a related story - a gorilla gets a new game but after he asks his Dad to change the batteries he has a hard time getting it back.

(Story and Pictures via Gizmodo)

Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring

Stand up and see for yourself.

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/badgerphone

Banana Vending Machine??

WHOA! Dole has made a vending machine that you can get BANANAs from and it's in Japan! So cool! It's the first banana vending machine and its been installed in Shibuya Tokyo near the Hanzomon Line Gate (Japan's subway/metro system). Dole says the bananas have sold out everyday since the machine was put in on June 23rd. It costs 130 yen ($1.45) for a single banana.

Its only the beginning. Soon they will be everywhere and then us monkeys will be more comfortable in the cities- the beginning of the metro-monkey era!

For more go to FarEastGizmos.com

P.S - I have NO idea what's up with Dole Banana dude. If you guys know anything about him let me know!

And here is another Banana Commercial from Dole!